Heifer Success

Here is another Heifer animal fact. Alpaca Fleece comes in 22 natural colors that result in more than 300 shades.

Now let’s visit the life of Pedro Mateo Lopez of Honduras. Pedro lived a very tough life in 1998, Hurricane Mitch destroyed his village. He and his family escaped to a remote outpost, but the soil there could produce only a few carrots and some cabbage. After feeding his family, there was little left. However, Pedro would take a two-day trip to market his surplus. At good times, he could earn $18.00. In order to sustain life, Pedro had to make the trip every two weeks.

Then things got worse – his wife died unexpectedly, leaving him with the five children. But hope paid him a visit. “Heifer” helped him to grow a better variety of vegetables and enrolled him in training to receive a heifer. Pedro and his new wife, Maria, jumped at the opportunity. After weeks of training they received “Primavera”, so named because Maria says, “She came as a vision in spring.”

Their lives changed rapidly. Their diets now were protein and nutrient rich. The proud moment came when they “passed the gift” to a neighbor. Now Pedro and Maria earn $1521 per year from garlic, chia and honey alone. Maria also sells chickens and eggs and Pedro builds biogas units for other families. “I don’t waste time,” says Pedro. Maria adds, “Everything we have has come with a great blessing.” Among the greatest is the ability to pay tuition and send their oldest to university. “We don’t want our children to live the way we’ve suffered,” says Pedro.

Please help the Lakeview United Methodist Men develop more of these success stories.